Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-02-02
wednesday. February ., 1857.
THE sOLDIERS, HOME.
The Concluding Testimony Before the
InYeatigating Comanittee.

Investigating Committee.
The concluding testimony as to the man
agement of the Soldiers home at Darien ana
the treatment of the soldiers is as follows
James Conroy testified that he came to the
home last August and while an inmate was
employed as waiter in the dining room.
The food during that time was generally
poor, and there was often an insuffciency OF
food For three weeks at time the bread was
sour, not baked enough and otherwise unpal-
atable. He had heard Superintendent Pei
ham tell the men that if they asked for more
food he would kick them out. He heard Pei
ham threaten to ring Powers neck and use
threatening language to other inmates.
David Brown testified that he had been an
inmate since November IA. He had found
fault because the bread and meat was not
properly cooked and because there was not
sufficient quantity at times; but there was in
his opinion a decided change for the
better IN the manner of cooking
and quantity of food since the Doug
lass Fowler post commenced its in
vestigation. There was, he said, a general
complaint about the food and also about the
clothing, he himself having been nearly
barefooted for three months, and during this
time his petitions for pair of shoes were IN
needed. He had heard General Couch tell
the men that if they did not like the treat
ment they received they could leave the
home.
James Lee, sickly old man, testified that
he had been an inmate of the home since
August s, 1886, and was under the treatment
of Dr. Geib until October H. DR.. Geibspre-
scribed a milk diet, but Pelham, although
knowing that Lee was an invalid and under
treatment, refused to give him milk. About
BOlAnnan.
regular physician of the home, examined
his case, and also ordered milk; but
the order was not regarded until last Wednes-
day evening, when the witness received
bowl of milk from Mr.. Pelham. He also
testified that the food had been at times i'm
properly cooked, that there had sometimes
been an insuficiency of it and that he had
continually heard other inmates complaining
of it.
Andrew Scullen testified that the cooking
of the food was not properly done. When
asked in regard to the bread being poor once
or twice he answered: f'Shure, if the bread
was bad only once or twice it would not be
worth spakin' of; but as a gineral rule it
wasn't fit to ate" He said that one time
when he received his bed clothing from his
laundry he found three unwelcome visitors
on his sheet. When asked what the unwel-
come visitors were he answered: sfThey was
three big lice, and as soon as saw thin I
another wan on which me claim was not pre-
empted by any lice."
Robert Kyle testified that the quality of
the food began to be poor soon as Mr.. Pei
ham took hold as superintendent.
Mr. Ellendorf then said, addressing Cover
nor Lounsbury, that one hundred more SOL
dier witnesses could be brought forward to
testify that they were i'll fed and badly used
but as the Governors time and cares were
pressing he would stop at this point.
Witnesses for the rebuttal were then called
on to testify.
Henry H. Harris testified that the food
was all right and he had no fault to find,
neither did he ever hear that Mr.. Pelham
had abused anyone.
Talmadge Baker, who has been trustee
of the home since July, 1881, and has visited
the institution about once a week since that
time, said that his associates were General
Couch, who visited the home four times
it nearly every day. He thought
that sufficient good food was fur
nished for the institution, and always
thought that Mr.. Pelham treated the inmates
well. He had never had any cause for repri-
handing Superintendent Pelham. He had
no personal knowledge as to whether any@of
the charges against the superintendent were
true or otherwise. He testified that one of
the inmates came to him and told him that
he had not received any clothes, although he
had asked for them several weeks before. He
gave the inmate an old pair OF pants.
DR.. Bohannan testified that he had no
knowledge of any of the inmates being i'll
for three days before receiving medical at
tendance. He called at the home every time
he sent for. He testified that DR.. Geio's
treatment of several of the cases was similar
to his own, and that the only difference was
the cost of the medicine to the State.
Charles Kaulb testified that he had been
an inmate of the home since last September;
he had always had sufficient food, except on
Fridays, which is fish day at the home; he
said that the reason he did not get enough
then was because OF his inability to eat fish
or ''clam chowder." He had seen the food
improperly cooked few times.
Patrick Hughes, who has been an inmate
of the home for three years, testified that the
cooking was sometimes improperly done and
that he did not fare as we'll as he would have
liked to; he stated that there were several
men at tne home who, when they became
intoxicated made it a regular "hell upon
earth"
The finding in the inquiry will be made
through the Soldiers Hospital board which
will meet in the adjutsnt generals Office, at
the call of the Governor, some time next